Supporting our trans community

This update follows the UK Supreme Court's ruling in relation to For Women Scotland (Ltd) versus the Scottish Ministers, and the subsequent consultation process conducted by the Equality and Human Rights Commission. The ruling was in response to a challenge to Scottish legislation and is expected to have a wide-reaching impact on how equality law is interpreted across the UK.

At York St John University, we know that the ruling has left some trans and gender diverse students and staff feeling uncertain about how this change might impact them. We are an inclusive University and are committed to providing a safe and supportive environment for our trans and gender diverse staff and students.

We have responded to the consultation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) on their code of practice for services, public functions and associations. We have outlined the need for clarity, including in relation to existing rights for trans people under the Equality Act 2010 and Gender Recognition Act 2004 and to ensure that we can fulfil our duties under the Public Sector Equality Duty.
 
We are currently in discussions with colleagues while we audit our provision and policies and will not be taking any immediate action during this process. As we work through this approach and forthcoming EHRC guidance, we will update any relevant policies in line with statutory requirements. Ultimately, our aim is to co-create solutions with relevant stakeholders to comply with the law while adhering to our own institutional values. Those values include being a trans-inclusive institution where harassment and discrimination are not tolerated.

We understand some of our staff and students may be feeling anxious following the ruling and might benefit from some support.
 
Students can access support from our Wellbeing and Welfare teams via our website.
For staff, a full range of support can be accessed via our Health and Wellbeing intranet page. 
Dedicated support for trans, non-binary and genderqueer staff and students is detailed in our Trans and Gender-diverse Inclusive Framework.

We recognise that people will have personal and varying views in response to the ruling and we support everyone’s right to engage in open dialogue in line with principles of freedom of speech and academic freedom. 

Thank you for navigating this change with empathy and respect.